“If the mountain were smooth, you couldn’t climb it.”

I’m watching someone close to me struggle. I know this is a chance for growth but my heart breaks watching it. What is it about struggle that we try to avoid? We know intuitively that not having trials leads to a kind of shallow, compassion-less life. So, why not run head first into trials? Why do we try to help our loved ones (and ourselves) avoid them?

We are all on this journey called life. We are here to learn, to grow and to become better people. We are here to experience all the emotions we can. Yet, while I can say that, I can also say that I’m looking for love and joy and peace. I’m not looking for pain and hurt and tears.

Maybe we don’t know what to do when we have a trial or when our loved ones are struggling. I know many people who, when they are in a difficult spot will lash out at others. They’ll feel sorry for themselves. See themselves as the victim. Know anyone like that? 🙂

Haven’t you ever met someone who just “can’t get a break”? Or they ask you, “Why do these things always happen to me?” Why does it seem that some people just attract negative circumstances? I think it’s because they never learn from their trials. And because they never learn, the same things happen over and over again. The definition of insanity …

On the other hand, there are others – those who I want in my life long-term – that are different. They handle trials differently. They believe that trials help them learn and grow. They embrace challenge and face hardship and they often ask themselves, “What am I supposed to learn from this?” Those are people who take ownership and are able to move forward.

So, with my loved one – I know I must be patient and grateful for this life challenge. I can put my support and my hand out there but I know that if life were always smooth, there would be no perspective – no empathy. Thus, with a deep breath, I watch and wait.

What has happened to you this last year? Maybe you had tragic loss. Maybe small hurts that added up to a big hurt. Maybe so much on your spinning plate that it sometimes dropped and broke. When you think of these things, think of how you’ve endured, how you’ve grown, how you’ve learned and what joyous moments have occurred in the midst of those painful things.

It’s exquisitely beautiful, and sometimes painful, this life. And those trials – well, I guess it’s just evidence of being alive and having yet another opportunity for growth and clarity. Hard not to want to continue on that path. 🙂